THE SING-SONG OF OLD MAN KANGAROO

OT always was the Kangaroo as now we do behold him, but a
Different Animal with four short legs. He was grey and he
was woolly, and his pride was inordinate: he danced on an
outcrop in the middle of Australia, and he went to the
Little God Nqa.

He went to Nqa at six before breakfast, saying, 'Make me
different from all other animals by five this afternoon.'

Up jumped Nqa from his seat on the sandflat and shouted, 'Go
away!'

He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate:
he danced on a rock-ledge in the middle of Australia, and he
went to the Middle God Nquing.

He went to Nquing at eight after breakfast, saying, 'Make
me different from all other animals; make me, also,
wonderfully popular by five this afternoon.'

Up jumped Nquing from his burrow in the spinifex and
shouted, 'Go away!'

He was grey and he was woolly, and his pride was inordinate:
he danced on a sandbank in the middle of Australia, and he
went to the Big God Nqong.

He went to Nqong at ten before dinner-time, saying, 'Make me
different from all other animals; make me popular and
wonderfully run after by five this afternoon.'

Up jumped Nqong from his bath in the salt-pan and shouted,
'Yes, I will!'

THIS is a picture of Old Man Kangaroo when he was the Different
Animal with four short legs. I have drawn him grey and woolly, and
you can see that he is very proud because he has a wreath of flowers in his
hair. He is dancing on an outcrop (that means a ledge of rock) in the
middle of Australia at six o'clock before breakfast. You can see that it is
six o'clock, because the sun is just getting up. The thing with the ears
and the open mouth is Little God Nqa. Nqa is very much surprised,
because he has never seen a Kangaroo dance like that before. Little God
Nqa is just saying, 'Go away,' but the Kangaroo is so busy dancing
that he has not heard him yet.

The Kangaroo hasn't any real name except Boomer. He lost it
because he was so proud.

Nqong called Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--always hungry, dusty
in the sunshine, and showed him Kangaroo. Nqong said,
'Dingo! Wake up, Dingo! Do you see that gentleman dancing
on an ashpit? He wants to be popular and very truly run
after. Dingo, make him SO!'

Up jumped Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--and said, 'What, that
cat-rabbit?'

Off ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--always hungry, grinning
like a coal-scuttle,--ran after Kangaroo.

Off went the proud Kangaroo on his four little legs like a
bunny.

This, O Beloved of mine, ends the first part of the tale!

He ran through the desert; he ran through the mountains; he
ran through the salt-pans; he ran through the reed-beds; he
ran through the blue gums; he ran through the spinifex; he
ran till his front legs ached.

He had to!

Still ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--always hungry, grinning
like a rat-trap, never getting nearer, never getting
farther,--ran after Kangaroo.

He had to!

Still ran Kangaroo--Old Man Kangaroo. He ran through the
ti-trees; he ran through the mulga; he ran through the long
grass; he ran through the short grass; he ran through the
Tropics of Capricorn and Cancer; he ran till his hind legs
ached.

He had to!

Still ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--hungrier and hungrier,
grinning like a horse-collar, never getting nearer, never
getting farther; and they came to the Wollgong River.

Now, there wasn't any bridge, and there wasn't any
ferry-boat, and Kangaroo didn't know how to get over; so he
stood on his legs and hopped.

He had to!

He hopped through the Flinders; he hopped through the
Cinders; he hopped through the deserts in the middle of
Australia. He hopped like a Kangaroo.

First he hopped one yard; then he hopped three yards; then
he hopped five yards; his legs growing stronger; his legs
growing longer. He hadn't any time for rest or refreshment,
and he wanted them very much.

Still ran Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo--very much bewildered,
very much hungry, and wondering what in the world or out of
it made Old Man Kangaroo hop.

For he hopped like a cricket; like a pea in a saucepan; or a
new rubber ball on a nursery floor.

He had to!

He tucked up his front legs; he hopped on his hind legs; he
stuck out his tail for a balance-weight behind him; and he
hopped through the Darling Downs.

He had to!

Still ran Dingo--Tired-Dog Dingo--hungrier and hungrier,
very much bewildered, and wondering when in the world or out
of it would Old Man Kangaroo stop.

Then came Nqong from his bath in the salt-pans, and said,
'It's five o'clock.'

Down sat Dingo--Poor Dog Dingo--always hungry, dusky in the
sunshine; hung out his tongue and howled.

Down sat Kangaroo--Old Man Kangaroo--stuck out his tail like
a milking-stool behind him, and said, 'Thank goodness that's
finished!'

Then said Nqong, who is always a gentleman, 'Why aren't you
grateful to Yellow-Dog Dingo? Why don't you thank him for
all he has done for you?'

Then said Kangaroo--Tired Old Kangaroo--'He's chased me out
of the homes of my childhood; he's chased me out of my
regular meal-times; he's altered my shape so I'll never get
it back; and he's played Old Scratch with my legs.'

THIS is the picture of Old Man Kangaroo at five in the afternoon, when
he had got his beautiful hind legs just as Big God Nqong had promised.
You can see that it is five o'clock, because Big God Nqong's pet tame
clock says so. That is Nqong, in his bath, sticking his feet out. Old
Man Kangaroo is being rude to Yellow-Dog Dingo. Yellow-Dog
Dingo has been trying to catch Kangaroo all across Australia. You can
see the marks of Kangaroo's big new feet running ever so far back over
the bare hills. Yellow-Dog Dingo is drawn black, because I am not
allowed to paint these pictures with real colours out of the paint-box;
and besides, Yellow Dog Dingo got dreadfully black and dusty after
running through the Flinders and the Cinders.

I don't know the names of the flowers growing round Nqong's bath.
The two little squatty things out in the desert are the other two gods
that Old Man Kangaroo spoke to early in the morning. That thing with
the letters on it is Old Man Kangaroo's pouch. He had to have a pouch
just as he had to have legs.

Then said Nqong, 'Perhaps I'm mistaken, but didn't you ask
me to make you different from all other animals, as well as
to make you very truly sought after? And now it is five
o'clock.'

'Yes,' said Kangaroo. 'I wish that I hadn't. I thought you
would do it by charms and incantations, but this is a
practical joke.'

'Joke!' said Nqong from his bath in the blue gums. 'Say that
again and I'll whistle up Dingo and run your hind legs off.'

'No,' said the Kangaroo. 'I must apologise. Legs are legs,
and you needn't alter 'em so far as I am concerned. I only
meant to explain to Your Lordliness that I've had nothing to
eat since morning, and I'm very empty indeed.'

'Yes,' said Dingo--Yellow-Dog Dingo,--'I am just in the same
situation. I've made him different from all other animals;
but what may I have for my tea?'

Then said Nqong from his bath in the salt-pan, 'Come and ask
me about it tomorrow, because I'm going to wash.'

So they were left in the middle of Australia, Old Man
Kangaroo and Yellow-Dog Dingo, and each said, 'That's your
fault.'

THIS is the mouth-filling song
Of the race that was run by a Boomer,
Run in a single burst--only event of its kind--
Started by big God Nqong from Warrigaborrigarooma,
Old Man Kangaroo first: Yellow-Dog Dingo behind.

Kangaroo bounded away,
His back-legs working like pistons--
Bounded from morning till dark,
Twenty-five feet to a bound.
Yellow-Dog Dingo lay
Like a yellow cloud in the distance--
Much too busy to bark.
My! but they covered the ground!

Nobody knows where they went,
Or followed the track that they flew in,
For that Continent
Hadn't been given a name.
They ran thirty degrees,
From Torres Straits to the Leeuwin
(Look at the Atlas, please),
And they ran back as they came.

S'posing you could trot
From Adelaide to the Pacific,
For an afternoon's run
Half what these gentlemen did
You would feel rather hot,
But your legs would develop terrific--
Yes, my importunate son,
You'd be a Marvellous Kid!